Wehrmacht
The Wehrmacht is an army featured in Warfare 1944. Their campaign is only available when playing on Armor Games. Description As in the first world war, Germany's armed forces of the Wehrmacht found themselves on the defensive during the Normandy campaign of 1944. Well prepared with defensive structures, the Wehrmacht dug in with one goal at this point in the war, defending their homeland. History The Reichwehr, the self-defense force of the Weimar Republic, was renamed the Wehrmacht in 1935. It was dissolved in 1945, after the end of World War II. Its successors were the West German Bundeswehr (1955) and East German Nationale Volksarmee (1956). Strictly speaking, Wehrmacht refers to all German armed forces, but it is mostly used to refer to the Wehrmacht Heer, the land forces. Uniform Wehrmacht troops typically wore M43 field tunics and trousers, both in grey, along with M1942 Stahlhelms. Weapons 'Karabiner 98k' The successor to the Gewehr 98, the Karabiner 98k was the service rifle of the Wehrmacht from 1935 to 1945. It was one of the final developments in the long line of Mauser rifles, and was reliable and highly accurate. Modified variants are still in use today by both civilian hunters and many Third-World countries. Used by most German infantry, aside from Mortars and Officers. 'MP40' A continuation of the MP38, the MP40 was basically a simplified version to ease manufacture. Generally only issued to Sturmtruppen and Officers, the MP40 was quite reliable all-round, except for its magazine. After the end of the war, captured MP40s were often redistributed to paramilitary and irregular forces, with some in use as late as 1999. 'Stielhandgranate' The Model 24 grenade, better known as the Stielhandgranate, was the standard hand grenade of the German Army in both World Wars. Its appearance earned it the nicknames "stick grenade" and "potato masher", and it has become one of the most recognizable infantry weapons of the 20th century. It is used by Riflemen and Sturmtruppen. 'MG 34' First produced and adopted in 1934, the MG 34 served in a large variety of roles, though it was officially replaced in infantry support roles by the infamous MG 42, which was essentially a MG 34 that was cheaper and quicker to make. However, the MG 34 remained in extensive use as secondary weapons for tanks, and as the MG 42 was often in short supply, it would remain in use by Machine Gunners. 'Panzerschreck' An improved copy of captured M1A1 Bazookas, the Raketenpanzerbüchse or Panzerschreck was first adopted in 1943 to counter Soviet tanks, which it was highly successful at. However, it produced large amounts of toxic smoke when fired, making it dangerous to use while in a building or enclosed space, as well as revealing the position of the Bazooka Team using it. '8 cm Granatwerfer 34' First adopted in 1934, the 8 cm Granatwerfer 34 was the standard issue mortar for the Germans throughout World War II, which has acquired a reputation for great accuracy and a high rate of fire, though the quality of the Mortar Teams using them played a part. It had a few variants, including a lightened one with a shortened barrel. 'Panzer III' First adopted in 1939, the Panzer III was intended as the main tank of the Panzer divisions, and was supposed to be the anti-armor tank, compared to the infantry-support Panzer IV. In practice, it became the other way round, and the Panzer III spent the latter half of the war in secondary roles. 'Bf 109' In 1937, the Luftwaffe adopted the Bf 109, which soon saw service during the ongoing Spanish Civil War. One of the most modern fighters at the time, it eventually became the main fighter of the Luftwaffe throughout World War 2. It also served in nearly every other role an aircraft could fulfill, and variants would serve in the air forces of several nations even after the war. 'Artillery' The Germans used various artillery pieces during World War II. An artillery strike can be called by Officers to destroy specific targets. 'Smoke Grenade' The smoke grenade used by German infantry in the game is not historically accurate. A design of a smoke grenade used by the Germans can be made out of glass or used the model of the Stielhandgranate. Units 'Riflemen' A 4-man squad equipped with bolt-action rifles and grenades. Effective against infantry but not against armor. 'Sturmtruppen' A 4-man squad equipped with both rifles and sub-machine guns, along with grenades and smoke grenades. They are effective against infantry, even those in cover. 'MG34 Team' A 2-man team equipped with a bolt-action rifle and a machine gun. They are highly effective against infantry when in cover. 'Sniper' A skilled sharpshooter equipped with a scoped bolt-action rifle. Highly accurate but slow firing. Effective against infantry at long range. 'Bazooka' A squad equipped with a rifle and a rocket launcher. They are effective against armor. 'Mortar' A soldier carrying a mortar, allowing him to deliver light artillery fire upon the enemy. 'Officer' A soldier carrying a sub-machine gun who can call in artillery strikes or air strikes, and also provides a morale and damage boost to infantry around him. 'Tank' A tank equipped with a main gun and a machine gun. It is strong against all infantry but is vulnerable to fire support. This unit can be damaged in specific areas like the engine, machine gun or the main gun, disabling it or reducing its effectiveness. Category:Armies